Cap Sa Sal Luxury, The Originals Collection

Cap Sa Sal Luxury, The Originals Collection

Begur's coastline hides Cap Sa Sal on a pine-covered clifftop, the same spot where architect Julián García del Águila raised a hotel in the late 1950s that would spend two decades hosting movie stars, politicians and businessmen before falling silent and closing for years. That history is the one thing sister properties along the Costa Brava cannot claim: a genuine mid-century pedigree, revived in the late 1990s and now operating as a design hotel with a seasonal outdoor pool set in gardens between the pines. Rooms are air-conditioned, come with free Wi-Fi, a private bathroom, a flat-screen TV, a wardrobe, a kettle and a coffee machine, and some open onto a balcony with sea views or add a kitchen with dishwasher and microwave for longer stays. A continental breakfast is served daily, and a bar, fitness facilities, 24-hour reception and room service round out the practical side, alongside parking for those arriving by car. This suits travellers drawn to the layered story behind the walls as much as the view, people happy to be tucked among trees rather than in the middle of a resort strip, and anyone who wants a base for exploring the coves rather than a hub of nightlife. It will frustrate anyone expecting to walk straight onto a lively beachfront or reach Platja d'Aro, 32 kilometres away, without a car, and those flying in should note Girona-Costa Brava Airport sits 62 kilometres off. What Cap Sa Sal offers instead is a quieter kind of Costa Brava, one where the building itself, not just the sea, has a past worth asking about. Cap Sa Sal sits on a Costa Brava clifftop in Begur, built in the late 1950s and once a haunt for movie stars before it closed and was later revived. Expect air-conditioned rooms among pine trees, a pool and, for some, a sea-view balcony, though livelier towns require a car.